Duality
by Severine Halo
Summary: Lightning must deal with the conflicting emotions that involves her love for Hope as a parental figure and admiration for him as a coming of age man. Hope must decide whether or not his feelings for her is just a foolish fantasy or the real thing?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place after the events of the game. Due to the mature subject matter, viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

** Chapter One**

Claire 'Lightning' Farron sat down on the couch in a huff. She had a long day at work, not to mention the uncomfortable experiences she's been having as of late. It has been two years since the human exodus from Cocoon to Gran Pulse. The wandering remnants of the once advanced society made their way into the wilderness where they used their technology in order to rebuild a new civilization. The speedy progression was due to inhabiting Pulse ruins. New Bodhum was one of the finished cities and Lightning's current place of residence. Because most of Gran Pulse was still untamed, both PSICOM and the Guardian Corps were needed full-time to fight off the dangers that surrounded them. Lightning reenlisted with the Guardian Corps, retaining her rank of sergeant. The rest of the party decided to stay in New Bodhum as well, taking up a variety of jobs. Sazh began working as a pilot again, escorting civilians back and forth between the newly rebuilt cities. Snow was working as a construction worker, making enough to support his newlywed wife (and her sister), Serah. Fang and Vanille, who were both crystallized after the battle with Orphan, came out of their crystallized sleep and was now living among them once more. Then there was Hope.

_ Hope,_ Lightning thought to herself as she sighed.

The silver-haired boy decided to stay with her instead of going back to his father. While he hasn't forgotten about his mother, he decided that the people he met that fateful day during the Purge was his new family now, and he treated them as such. Not one to get in the way of destiny, Lightning agreed to be his guardian, and support him while he finished school. Despite the disorganization of the newly instated school system and Hope's previous traumas, he was a straight-A student. He was on the track team, and due to the leftover power of the L'Cie, he was faster than most of his teammates. Lightning was proud of the boy's progress, which made her current dilemma that much more difficult.

Lightning stared down at her white blouse, gritting her teeth at the stains in the chest area. She was lactating, and there was nothing she could do about it, at least, not at the moment.

This problem began a couple of months ago, while she was on duty. Nobody paid much attention, for they were more concerned with the possibility of invading creatures. After a week of doing nothing, she went to see a doctor who claimed there was nothing wrong with her. Since she wasn't pregnant (thank heavens), there was no explanation to as why this was going on. This prompted Lightning into seeing the military psychologist. During the first visit, Lightning was too shy to go into details about her situation. She would beat around the bush, discussing about her other issues concerning her emotional state. Some of these were tied to the events of two years prior, while others lingered in the immediate present. By the third visit, she realized that all these issues had one thing in common: Hope. Realizing this, the psychologist suggested that the state of Lightning's maternal-related condition could be due to her over-protectiveness of the 16 year old.

Lightning dismissed the notion, calling it ludicrous, but one day she leaned towards the possibility even more. Ever since they became L'Cie, Lightning devoted her entire being to that boy. She protected him, trained him, taught him, and cared for him almost as much as she did for Serah. These days she couldn't imagine a world without Hope, and was almost driven to tears when she thought he would move back in with his father. She watched him grow from a defenseless little sweetheart to a young man who could stand tall on his own. He was the center of their 'party', the essence of the group that saved the world from Orphan. She loved him with every fiber of her being...but therein lies the problem...

_ How did she love him?_

Where there were times where her motherly nature would intervene in certain situations, there were others where his post-puberty presence would leave her hot and bothered. She figured that the age gap would nullify this dilemma, but apparently it hasn't. Hope was no longer the sweet little boy, but a young male on the cusp of adulthood. He had the figure and the mindset to prove it, which she both admired and dreaded for obvious reasons. This all actually began when she Hope in a towel for the first time a couple of months ago. He walked out of the bathroom to grab his clothes, and she just happened to be in the hallway at the time. The first thing she noticed was how tight the towel was on him, and the bulge that was created because of this tightness. Hope caught her biting her lip at him, while her mind traveled to forbidden worlds of desire. His voice sent her back to reality, where she stared at him sheepishly and ran into her room.

The moment was never brought up.

Lightning was relieved that Hope was oblivious to as why she was suddenly acting weird around him. As his guardian it was up to her to deal with the inner turmoil that dwell within. When he was around, either she was wet up there or wet down there. This duality was tearing her apart from the inside out. She tried throwing her lustful energy at other men, but each left her unsatisfied. There were only two times where she was able to climax in life: before her parents' death, and when Hope drifted into her thoughts when she was 'alone'. This scared her, for this was wrong on every level. If she kept this up, she was going to confuse the poor boy and possibly destroy his innocence in the process. Then again, even if the lust for Hope went away, she still had that 'parental' issue. Was she that attached to Hope, that it made her biological actions go out of whack? Could anyone be that into someone that wasn't obsessive? Was she in fact _obsessed _with Hope?

Lightning sighed as she stared at a picture of her and Hope on the wall. It was taken on the first day they moved in her and it was the only one they ever took together. Maybe she didn't have any other choices. Either she was going to be his lover or his guardian. Maybe he should move in with Snow and Serah until she dealt with this issue once and for all? So many questions...so many...

Lightning opted for sleep before she drove herself crazy.

* * *

After track practice, Hope headed straight home instead of hanging out with his friends. He was tired, and he promised Light that he would cook dinner tonight. He was excited at the idea of trying out a new recipe. Light found some rare ingredients while on recon the other day and Fang said they were used for a variety of dishes. Fang and Vanille...it was great having the gang back together again. Hope has never felt so happy in his life, except for when he was around his mother. He knew she was somewhere out there, proud of her son living his life the way he intended. He was around people who truly cared about him...especially Lightning. For a woman who used to be so cold, Light became one of the most caring women he's ever met. She's done everything for him...he would never be who he was now without her. Sazh once told him when a man's mother passed on; another woman would come into his life to help him complete his journey of manhood. For Sazh it was his dear late wife. For Snow, it was Serah. For Hope it was most definitely Lightning. He was close with Vanille also, but she was like the sister he never had.

Lightning...was well a big sister? In some ways yes, but she also took care of him like a mother. Then again, there was something else to the equation, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Actually, he could, but he didn't want to take it there. If he indeed thought of Lightning as a mother or sister, then these random 'thoughts' about her wouldn't be occurring every so often, especially when he was in the 'discovery' stage of his puberty. The things she's done for him, the way she means to him were the exact thing that Snow said about Serah, which freaked him out. Lightning sacrificed so much to make him happy. He's never seen her go out on a date, or even socialize with other men. He sometimes would watch her at night, sitting on the sofa, alone with her thoughts. It was intruding on her privacy, but he couldn't help but watch what she did with those thoughts of hers, the tired look on her face, the soft sighs and moans that echoed the living room. It was never too loud, or too soft for his ears to pick up. This was not Lightning, but Claire Farron living out her wants and needs that her other half couldn't provide for her.

Deep down inside, Hope wanted to be that thing she needed. He wanted to do well in school and go to college (whenever the university will be finished being built). He wanted to get a good job and help the progression of his people while he supported Light. He wanted her to stop working that dangerous job of hers...the job that reminded her of the Lightning she used to be. He would never forget the revelation she had at Palumpolum. That's the Lightning he fell in love with...the one who finally realized the things she wanted to finally fight for.

He was one of those things. She too would be the thing he would fight for. The only thing that held him back from telling her this was the fear of rejection. He knew Lightning would think of this as a foolish boy's fantasy and tell him as such. The only way he could make her realize this was meant to be is to prove his worth to her. Not just as someone she could love, but someone she could depend on, someone who didn't want Lightning, but Claire Farron. The loving and sweet Claire Farron she was before her childhood was taken from her. In order for this to work, he had to be the Hope Estheim that evolved after everything was taken away from him, the Hope that was the rock of their party, the hero that Snow always talked about being.

Hope laughed as these things came to mind. At this rate, his imagination was going to get him into a lot of trouble. Then again, it never hurt to try...

* * *

After dinner, Lightning watched some television (there was only a couple of channels active at the time), and took a shower while Hope cleaned up the kitchen. That was one of the things she liked about him: she never had to get in his butt about his cleaning habits. After her shower, she decided to try on the nightwear that Serah bought for her on her 23rd birthday. Staring into the mirror, she observed herself while she put on the leopard printed panties (damn that woman) and bra (damn her even more) that accompanied a robe with the same design. When Lightning tried putting on the bra, she found that it could barely fit. That was odd, Serah knew her bra size like the back of her hand (she teased her enough about it, usually in fits of jealousy. Apparently, she caught Snow's eyes lingering for too long one day). After careful observation, Lightning knew what the problem was: due to her 'situation', her breasts were swelled to maximum.

"Tch," she said to herself, while glaring in the mirror. This situation was definitely getting out of hand. She was going to have to-

Light?"

Lightning was almost too embarrassed to turn her head, and see Hope standing in the bathroom doorway. Her mouth opened, but no words came out as she tried to cover herself, but her bra left her hands before she could do anything. Hope, who was rubbing his eyes, looked too tired to know whether this was a dream or reality. The boy probably went to sleep after cleaning up. Lightning looked like a deer in headlights, her body to frozen to completely cover her breasts. Due to her trying to squeeze her chest together in order to fit the bra, traces of milk were left, still wet from exertion. Her face as red as an apple, Light turned away to avoid making eye contact.

_ Do something woman! _She yelled inward, but to no avail, no action was made.

Before she knew it, Lightning was up against the wall, with Hope's hands binding her own. She wanted to yell at him to get off, but what she saw left her in shock. Despite his messy hair covering his blue-green eyes, she could see just how his look made her transfixed. He seemed to be in a daze, as if a hundred things were going on in his head. Lightning had the strength to push him off, but something inside made her hesitate. She felt her body grow hot, her nipples beginning to harden from his body pressing against hers.

She wasn't prepared for what would happen next.

Hope's mouth began to relentlessly attack her breasts. Kissing...biting...sucking. Hope was in another world, one that obviously involved doing things that most boys his age wanted to do. But somehow, this was different. Lightning began to gasp, holding back the moans that fought to escape from her mouth. She tried to break free from his grasp, but she was too enthralled to do so. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as her body gave way, the two of them sliding down against the wall. Lightning's legs automatically gave Hope access to what laid in between.

Lightning knew this was wrong, but how could it feel so good if it was? She could barely think, only reacting to the instinct that forced her to make her pleasure audible. His rapid fire hands made Lightning grip his arm tightly as he did things to her in a way that no man ever had. For someone who was inexperienced, he seems to know how to bring her to complete and utter submission. In the midst of her tears, she saw the milk dripping along his mouth. She found the scene kind of comical, but she was too busy in the heat of passion to think of any jokes. The combination of his fingers and the pulling of his teeth is what finally brought Lightning's ecstasy crashing down like a tidal wave. With her body finally reaching the climax of climaxes, Lightning's world became dark as she could no longer keep herself awake.

_ Damn._

_

* * *

_

A/N: I really hope I didn't cross the line with this one! After some encouragement from my gf, I realized I just had to tell this story. For personal reasons, Hope has become one of my favorite characters in the franchise as well as Lightning (Cloud still remains number one ). I really hope anyone who read this enjoyed it. Despite the age difference and the morality of the situation, I wanted to convey that these were two people who really loved each other to the point where they can no longer hold it back. It's still wrong and obviously they have issues (at least in my ). Tune in for the next chapter where things really heat up!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: *announcer guy voice* Rated M for mature.

* * *

** Chapter Two**

Lightning's eyes slowly opened as her body stirred. She got up, feeling the effects of the peculiar position in which she fell asleep in. Arching her back, her mind tried to get a grasp on the events of last night. The last thing she remembered clearly was the seriousness in those blue-green eyes before her ward sexually assaulted her. After a few more stretches, she looked in the mirror. Her blue eyes had no traces of the usual dark circles that accompanied them. In fact, this was the best sleep she had in quite awhile.

_ At least something good came out of this,_ she thought to herself. _That silver-haired runt have better have a good reason why he made the move he did, without forcing me to cause him bodily harm!_

Lightning could still feel the aftershocks of Hope's actions, her most personal area still throbbing from its latest release. It was as if his fingers were still inside of her, doing his bidding, playing her like a human piano. Instinctively, Lightning crossed her legs, but it did nothing to relieve the situation. Her breasts felt different too. After a moment of touching them, she realized they were at their normal size. What caused this to be entered her mind like a slide-show, remembering Hope's wet face. What the hell was she thinking letting him do such a thing? How could something so taboo even enter his mind? Better yet, how could something so taboo turn _her _on! Shame hovered over her like a black cloud, raining on her already horrible morning. She deserved to feel this miserable condoning such actions. The boy was under age, and she was seven years his senior! On top of that, she was his _guardian!_ The government (well what was left of it) entrusted him into her care (not really, she just took him in), so that she could provide a normal childhood (what was left of it) for him to live in (while being in the middle of nowhere in a place they hardly knew anything about). Right now, she was the world's worst mother figure.

No matter how intense her orgasm was.

As her shattered thoughts begin to piece themselves together, she wondered where Hope was. She called out his name, but there was no answer. She glanced at the clock on the wall, and realized that he was in school for over an hour. What were his thoughts on the matter? Did he even know what he was doing? The boy looked possessed, like some kind of evil fal'cie took control of him for its vile purposes. That was impossible for the fal'cie was destroyed after Fang and Vanille became Ragnarok.

She couldn't blame him for it probably wasn't easy living with a grown woman while going through all those urges as a teenager. He probably couldn't take it any longer and needed release...like she needed it. Was it in fact okay to let this one go, for the mere fact this was something they both needed? After all, they both knew and cared for each other. It was safer than doing something with a stranger. Hope didn't have to risk practicing his intimacy with one of those 'whore-ish' high school girls! She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and she could guide him through the challenge of pleasing a wo-

"No!" Lightning struck herself across the face. _No excuses! Shame on you Lightning Farron!_

The pink-haired soldier sighed for a moment, letting the silence of reality settle in. She should confess this to the psychologist. That was the only way to help her out of this situation. Hope might have to move in with Snow and Serah, a couple with no weird hang ups...like her. She failed him as a guardian and it was time to take responsibility for her ac-

"Wait." Lightning glanced back at the clock. Hope was in school for an hour. This meant she was two hours late for her job. The job that paid the bills, that put food on the table, the job that supported her and Hope.

"Tch!" Lightning scrambled for her bra and ran as quickly to her room to get dressed. She would have to shower at work and think up of good excuses for her tardiness along the way.

She would deal with Hope Estheim later.

* * *

How Hope paid no attention through most of his classes and got away with it was a mystery to him. How he passed a biology exam with flying colors without studying the night before left him even more clueless. His thoughts were elsewhere, stuck on the events of last night. When he first woke up in the bathroom, he thought it was some kind of bad (or good) dream, and waited for the moment he would wake up. There was no way in the physical realm Lightning would ever be laying half naked next to him, with his fingers carrying her scent. After several painful attempts at pinching himself, he realized that this was as real as the now reddish marks on his arm. He wanted to wake up Lightning to ask what happened, but his memory came back to him and showed him the part he played in the scenario. Hope was speechless and was a little embarrassed. He was also surprised that she let him do such a thing.

The Lightning he knew would've drop kicked him from here to the Archylte Steppe.

It didn't matter how many times he helped saved the world, Hope was always shy when it came to the opposite sex. He never had a real girlfriend before; much less experience any real form of intimacy outside of kissing on the lips. He was still a freaking virgin for crying out loud! How did he pull a Casanova-like maneuver and make Lightning pass out in his arms from pure sexual pleasure? And why did he still continue even after the fact? And what the hell was up with her lactating! And why on Pulse did he suck the milk from her ti-

"Hope?" His science teacher, Mrs. Phillips interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?" Hope did the best he could to look like he was paying attention.

"Could you explain to the class the definition of a eukaryote?" The teacher's smug looked pissed him off more than anything.

"A eukaryote is any organism with one or more cells that have visible nuclei and organelles." Hope paused for a moment to let the shock and awe settle in. "The group contains all living and fossil cellular organisms except bacteria and cyanobacteria. Mrs. Phillips, if you think your little ruse was going to catch me off guard, you were sadly mistaken."

"Oooo..." The class sounded in unison, turning from teacher to student, and then back.

Mrs. Phillips turned as red as a tomato. She was doing everything in her power to not explode in anger. "First off, I want to say very good Hope. Secondly, I would like to see you after class. Disrespect like that will not be tolerated in my classroom!"

"Oooo..."

_ But yet you can give me a B last semester because you felt like I had it too easy, you freaking hypocrite! _Hope thought to himself and crossed his arms. When Mrs. Phillips turned around, he spoke again.

"By the way, it descended from an ancient word called _karuotos_, meaning 'having nuts', which came from _karuon_, meaning 'nut'."

_ Which is probably what you have between your legs you hag!_

Lightning was right. Oerba Yun Fang was definitely a bad influence.

* * *

Lightning dragged herself throughout the work day. She patrolled the outskirts of the city with her team, without much conversation. A couple of orders here and there made it seem like nothing were out of the ordinary, but she wasn't able to fool her superior officer. He could clearly see something was on her mind when she came back from patrol, and offered the option for her to leave early. With the amount of time Lightning spent at work, her lieutenant didn't mind giving her some time off. He told her she seemed a little too into her work anyhow. With her remaining hours now free, Lightning thought about seeing the psychologist, but she would rather beat Hope home and deal with what needed to be dealt with.

She got back home just in time to fix herself an early dinner, and was able to dress comfortably before Hope's arrival. She heard Hope's voice through the door, saying goodbye to his friends before he opened the door to their home. This, if things went for the worst, would be referred to as _her_ home. It was now her job to make sure that didn't happen. She didn't want Hope to leave, she just wanted him to understand nothing wasn't going to happen between them again, _ever. _

Her heart (and her hormones) almost took over when the youth walked through the door. The way his silver bangs fell over his eyes was very reminiscence of last night when he forced himself on her. His eyes were filled with frustration, probably something having to do with school. He was coming home later than usually, especially since he didn't have practice today. He looks more like a man who wanted the world to stay out his way, than the boy who welcomed everyone with a smile. No matter how Hope felt at the moment, they needed to discuss things ASAP. He almost walked by her without saying anything before she spoke up.

"Hope," Lightning began. "We need to talk." She was channeling her serious persona, the soldier of fortune who answered to nobody but herself.

Hope turned his head slowly, his facial expression being a mix of fear and ire.

"What is it Light?" There was no playfulness in his voice, no hint of love or concern. Whatever happened to him today must have been bad. They would talk about that later though.

"Sit down." When Hope didn't budge, her eyes narrowed. "That's an order."

Without complaining, Hope obliged to her demands and took his place on the sofa next to her. "Go ahead," he said. "Talk about it."

Paying no mind to his attitude, Lightning continued. "Before I start, I just want to say that we will be here all night talking about what exactly happened and why, so I want to kinda bypass that. I just want to tell you that it's not happening again."

"Fine." Hope stared at the painting of Lake Bresha on the wall. The sound of voice gave a hint that he didn't want to deal with this situation at the time.

Lightning sighed. "I'm not trying to be mean, I'm not trying to put you down Hope, but whatever happened last night has to stop. I don't know what got into you to do such a thing to me, but whatever it is get it out of your system immediately. I am not your lover Hope. I am your guardian, and as your guardian I-"

"Bull." Hope's interruption triggered shock and frustration within Lightning.

"Excuse me?" Lightning blinked a couple of times to make sure she was hearing the boy's disrespect clearly.

Hope narrowed his eyes at her. "I said its bull. Everything you said so far is complete bull! If it wasn't, you would've stopped me last night."

Lightning was silent before uttering a word. She knew that would be his first move in the conversation. She was ready to counter that response.

"What was I suppose to do Hope? You're my ward and the only way I was going to get you off of me was going to be through a physical altercation. I wouldn't dream of hurting you, not in a million years!"

"You wanted it just as much as I did!" Hope yelled. "Don't pin this on me and try to look like the saint! Don't try to walk around here and say there's no attraction between us! I notice you get just as aroused as I do when we're around each other. Like for instance..." Hope nodded at the nipples showing through Lightning's tank top. "Right now, we can barely contain our urges..." Hope nodded at the bulge showing through his pants. "I'm sexually attracted to you Light, and you are to me. Get over it."

Hope's sudden aggressive behavior was quite the turn on for Lightning, but he just didn't get it. This was more than just the urges; this was about saving their friendship.

"Hope, you know this is wrong!" she exclaimed. "I can't even begin to describe just how wrong this is! And here I am so desperate to save what we've built, that my..." Hope looked down at her chest. "My body is fighting the mindset I may develop if this is left unchecked. I need you Hope..." Lightning's eyes grew soft. "But not just in that way."

Hope pouted and crossed his arms. Why does he suddenly feel like the bad guy? Why is it she got to get off on what he did to her, and here he was getting the riot act! He knew that she was doing everything in her power to try and deny her urges, to become the cold person she once was, but it's not working. It may seem wrong to conventional society, but something about it felt right. He was still struggling with the idea himself, but he didn't want to stop it. Just seeing her dressed like that last night had set off something inside of him he didn't know existed. No man would make her happy the way he would...no man could please her the way he did last night. He may have been inexperienced, but when it came to Lightning, her body was a blueprint to him. He just knew what to touch, where to kiss. He was devoted completely to making her happy, sexual or otherwise.

Deep down inside, he knew that was what she wanted most out of a lover. If there was anything the events of two years ago did for him, it helped him express himself in ways that most kids his age didn't know how to, for better or worst. His maturity was sometimes more developed than even those who taught him at New Bodhum High. But yet, he understood the fear of this situation. He was just as scared as her, just as freaked out. He wanted to share those fears and concerns, but he didn't want to throw it out of the window and make like it didn't exist. Things happened for a reason.

Hope stared into those lonely blue eyes, searching for a way in. For the first time in a long time Lightning once again had her walls up. It was his entire fault, and there was no way she could completely trust him again. Maybe she was right to pin this on him. She was trying to live a normal life after all they've been through and he ruined it by thinking with his other 'head'. It sounded like the quintessential guy maneuver. The 'push the red button' move when a guy wanted to screw things up.

This duality that was building within was tearing him apart. The Hope that hid in the shadows, afraid of the world, the Hope that wanted to crawl under a rock and wish the world away was coming back to haunt him. He worked so hard to be strong, to make everyone proud of him. He was doing so well, and now the woman that helped forged the sword of his manhood has become the meaning of her name, thus destroying the meaning of his own.

Before Hope was about to burst into tears, Lightning's cell went off, thus creating a diversion for him when she answered. When she looked in his direction while she talked to Serah, he was gone.

Lightning paused for a moment, listening to the sound of feet running up stairs, followed by the slamming of a door. "Go ahead Serah," she said softly.

"Well Claire, I called you to see if you wanted to go out tonight. I'm becoming a little stir crazy in this house. And I figured we could have a girl's night out! Fang and Vanille are in, so what do you say?"

Lightning looked towards the stairs one more time before answering. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Count me in, Serah."

Tonight, alcohol was going to be her boyfriend.

* * *

A/N: Can't always have a steamy scene in ever chapter huh? But at least the drama still exists! I want to thank everyone who reviewed so far, I think I got like 6 or 7 in the first couple of hours! And I received over 150 hits! I must be doing something right I guess. I really enjoy writing this story, and though I haven't abandoned my other ones, most of my energy will be put into finishing this one. And yes there will be a 'club' scene next chapter involving the girls of FFXIII! Before I make my exit, I want to thank my gf, Alpha T. Sigma. The shipping idea was originally hers as well as the 'lactating'. Everything else you've read was my psychological strong-arming of the pair, taking the idea in a completely different direction than she thought I would take it. I have a lot of juicy things to add, and I'm going to add a few more 'steamy' things to chapter one in the coming week. Until next time...*poof*


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: In case if you already know, there's a review by me in the reviews section. That was due to a mistake by my gf thinking she was on her account while reviewing my story lol. I guess she was just as excited as everyone else after reading chapter 2. I just wanted to explain that so you guys don't think I'm some kind of douche lol. Anyways, on with the show!

Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Lightning arrived at the _Leaning Moon, _feeling a bit anxious. She hasn't done anything social since Dajh's birthday bash last year, and this was the first time she ever had a 'girl's night out'. Serah has, made an attempt at such things in the past, but her reclusive state of mind and the constant work hours made her reject her sister's offers. This time though, she needed it. She needed to be away from work, away from home, away from Hope. When she walked into the bar/nightclub (there was little entertainment due to reconstruction), she scanned the room, getting a feel for the situation. Some of the men she noticed at the bar were members of the Guardian Corps. There were a few people who she could have mistaken for PSICOM officers, but she wasn't too sure. It was weird associating with them after all that has happened. They were once public enemy number one among The Sanctum and all of Cocoon, but yet they were treated like any other civilian during reconstruction. Sazh claimed that society had other things to worry about then the ex-fugitives who caused a ruckus just to save humanity. He wouldn't be surprised if people forgot who they actually were.

Thinking about that again put Lightning's mind at ease once more. After a minute of standing by the entrance, Lightning spotted Serah, Fang, and Vanille sitting at a table near the dance floor. Her sister of course spotted her first and waved her hand.

"Over here!" she shouted cheerfully.

Fang and Vanille noticed as well, and gave their respective greetings. The two Oerba women were wearing long dresses, native to their region with designs similar to the ones they have on their casual attire. Fang's dress was a dark blue color, and Vanille's was a light orange. Serah was wearing a white sleeveless blouse with a match skirt that was just a little too short for Lightning's taste. She wondered how she got Snow to let her go out dressed that way. The poor idiot probably doesn't even know she's wearing such attire. Then again, Lightning shouldn't be hypocritical, especially with the short black dress she was wearing. Tonight should be a time where they should be able to let a little loose, so she wouldn't too over protective of her sister.

"Hey," Lightning greeted as she sat down. "Looks like there is going to be a crowd tonight."

"Doesn't surprise me since this the only _actual _club on the east end of town," said Serah, placing a complimentary mini-pretzel into her mouth.

Vanille was her usual sunny self. "I can't believe we're all together like this! For once, we can just relax and enjoy life, instead of just living on the edge..." her words slowed when a well-dressed man approached the table.

"May I buy you a drink?" he asked Vanille, his confidence becoming evident through his cocky smile.

Fang began to growl while Vanille nodded. Lightning found the scene kind of amusing, and made sure Fang saw the smirk on her face.

"I would love that," said Vanille, flashing a bright smile. When the man went over to the bar, she turned back to her girlfriends. "Everyone here is so nice! They were doing that ever since I came in here!"

Fang rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you it hasn't hit you yet? These guys are trying to get you drunk so they can take you home!"

"Then I'll just say no," Vanille said simply. "They'll understand. We're all civilized human beings. It's not like any of them is a bear..."

Serah looked puzzled while Lightning exchanged looks with Fang. Her sister didn't know that back in Fang and Vanille's time, Vanille killed a giant bear single-handed. Once Fang told Lightning of that story, she began looking at this girl in a different light. Vanille was sweet and kind because she could afford to be. She may have her moments of weakness, but when push came to shove she was just as dangerous as the rest of them, as was Hope.

_ Damn, I don't want to think about him right now! _Lightning thought angrily, and impulsively raised her hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Fang.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm ordering! Get what you want, because Its on me!"

Fang smiled at the generous offer. "You're desperate to get drunk, aren't ya?"

"You have no idea."

Serah looked concern. "Did something happen at work?"

"Nope."

"Did something happen with Hope? Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's fine. A pain in the ass, but he's fine. I just need to drink a lot tonight, so make sure that Snow picks us all up, okay?" Lightning stared over at the bar, looking for someone who could be of service. She needed to escape her thoughts for they were wandering back to her inner war with herself, courtesy of Hope Estheim.

Serah nodded, and sighed. She was always worried if Lightning was able to take proper care of a teenage boy. She helped raise her after the death of their parents, but that was different. Becoming Hope's guardian was a choice, not something she was forced to do because of survival. Hope and Lightning were always close, but she felt weird about the aspect of the two of them living together. Hope was a young boy who was learning more about himself, and while Lightning was older, she wasn't _that _much older. She wasn't trying to think that anything would happen (because Lightning would never allow something like that!), but you could never be too sure. Serah and Snow offered to raise the boy, but Lightning flat out refused. She said Hope was her responsibility and she promised that nothing will happen to him. She mentioned that no matter what happened she had to live up to that promise, even if it meant at the cost of her life.

Lightning's expression gave away the fact that something was wrong at home. She trusted her sister's judgment and problem solving abilities, so she won't mention anything at all.

After the girls ordered, the waiter came back a couple of minutes later with five drinks. The ones they ordered and the one that was brought for Vanille. As each girl grabbed their drink, Vanille raised her glass.

"Here's to a night we all deserve!" she shouted.

"I can drink to that," said Fang, with Lightning and Serah agreeing with her.

The four girls of the former L'Cie tipped their glasses, and began the first round of their drinking...

* * *

Hope, with his face half buried in his pillow, stared into oblivion. He cried himself to sleep earlier, but he was awakened by sweet dreams turned beautiful nightmares. He had dreamed he was in Lightning's arms, his face buried in her breasts; much like his face was in this pillow. He was fourteen all over again, a little boy who was afraid of the world a kid who relied on someone bigger and stronger to save him at every turn. He felt so safe in her arms then, comforted by her soft touch, soothed by the sound of her voice. She made him feel stronger than he was; she gave him the confidence to move on from the loss of his mother. Now, that same person had cut is heart in half. She helped him toy with his most personal of urges, and pushed him away when he wanted to play some more.

Is this how Lightning treated her lovers? Did she lead them on, and then when things got too serious she got rid of them? Hope knew this wasn't the case (especially since he initiated the situation), but he couldn't help but feel like this was Lightning's fault. She should have saw this coming a mile away, she could have taken precautions in order to avoid the mess they were now in. It was going to be extremely uncomfortable for the two of them now.

_ Maybe I should move out. _Hope wanted to think about it some more, but he fell back asleep.

* * *

"Woo!" Vanille was having the time of her life as she danced around four lucky guys.

Serah had two 'victims' of her own. She danced freely between the two of them as they drew closer and closer. Lightning wanted to take their heads and bashed them together just as much as Fang wanted to make shish-kebob out of Vanile's four dance partners with her spear. Due to their level of intoxication, they dared not try to move from their seats. All they could do is stand, watch, and hate.

Lightning shook her head in disgust, and downed a half glass of vodka. Fang finished her ninth round of rum, and wiped her mouth when some of it dripped. Lightning couldn't understand why her sister would be so loose around men that weren't her husband. She knew Snow could be a pain and sometimes a bore, but there was such a thing as loyalty and modesty. Fang was just plain overly-protective. She knew some of the others thought there was some kind of 'attraction' between the two Oerba natives, but Fang loved Vanille as a sister, nothing more. She was the only family she had left for they were the last two of their kind. She would be damned if some douche came along and hurt Vanille in some way or another. She had to protect Vanille, no matter what.

"Hey girls," spoke a familiar voice from behind them. "Looking lonely over there."

Lightning turned her head to see Snow sitting down. She cracked a grin when she anticipated Snow's reaction to what she was about to say.

"Well, _our_ loneliness is the thing you shouldn't be worried about..." Lightning's finger pointed in the direction of her sister. "You should be more concerned with _her _company.

When Snow clenched his fist in anger, Fang raised a hand.

"I know, I know, you want to go over there and show them the business," Fang began. "But, look at our girls. They're having the time of their lives. We'll regret it if we went over there and cleaned house. Let them have their fun. And besides, they're on their way back now."

Serah and Vanille made their way back to the table, with a couple of men following suit. Death glares from Fang, Lightning and Snow prevented them from advancing any further.

"Honey!" cried Serah, wrapping her arms around her husband. "Once again you come to my rescue!"

Snow stared at the red blush on Serah's face and looked questioningly at Lightning, who shrugged her shoulders.

"She didn't have much," Lightning lied.

"That's not true!" exclaimed a loud Vaniile, who was bent over the table, her hips moving to the DJ's music. "She drank more than all of us!"

Lightning tried to avoid the look of disappointment coming from Snow.

Serah tugged at Snow's jacket. "Baby!" she cried. "I want ice cream! Lots and lots of ice cream!" she turned around to look at the others and began to gasp in surprise.

"What the hell is with you?" asked Fang, crossing her arms.

"I-ice c-cream..." Serah was five years old all over again. She pointed at Lightning, her finger shaking.

"Strawberry."

She pointed at Fang. "Chocolate."

The she pointed at Vanille. "Vanilla."

Serah turned back to Snow and shook him violently. "I want Neapolitan!"

Snow gently pushed his woman aside. "Okay, okay, geez. We'll stop at the ice cream parlor on the way home."

Serah happily jumped up and down. "Yay! Claire, are you having ice cream with us?"

Lightning shook her head. "I am going to go straight home. I think I need some rest."

Snow nodded. "Okay. I'll drop you off first."

The group left the club, leaving many broken hearts behind.

* * *

Lightning stumbled into the house, still feeling very tipsy from earlier. Fumbling for the light switch, she cursed to herself and gave up on the fifth try. She was going straight to bed anyway, so she would follow the shadows of the stairs and hope for the best.

_ Hope. _That boy was so cute. Serah and Fang teased her in the car about him finding her drunk, and perhaps taking advantage of her. This was preceded by her sister flipping up her skirt for some odd reason. Serah did weird things when she wasn't 'herself'. Was Lightning 'herself' right now? She did not know, or care, since she was thinking about laying in her own bed as well as Hope's fingers wandering down her body...

_ No, don't do that, _she reminded herself. No fantasizing about Hope, no matter how drunk she was. Wait, she wasn't drunk, was she? If she was, would she be able to walk up these stairs? Lightning was a big girl, and could handle herself! She help raised Serah and she was now raising Hope! That was her job! She had to raise those younger than her, those who couldn't fend for themselves. She had to teach them about survival! She was Lightning! Quick to strike down her foes, never needing to do it twice! She was to be respected and feared! If Hope didn't respect her, then she would make him _fear_ her. Just then images of the silver haired boy tied up in her basement downstairs began crossing her mind. He always managed to go into her 'weapons locker' downstairs without her permission, so maybe it was time for him to see how those weapons can be used?

_ Light, you're so devious when you want to be!_

The pink warrior giggled to herself as she entered her room. An odd feeling passed over her after she closed the door. There was something different about her room; she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe she rearranged her furniture earlier. She couldn't quite remember. Oh well, it's sleepy time!

As Lightning moved closer to her bed, she gasped when she saw that someone was already in it. Hope was lying on his back, the covers wrapped around him. As much as she wanted to be angry, he looked so adorable sleeping there so soundly. There was no way she could possibly wake him. She's never seen him look so peaceful...so innocent. A wave of guilt begins to wash over her as she remembered the events from earlier. She shouldn't be so hard on the boy, especially since he was so cute!

Lightning climbed into the bed to get a better look at him. Hovering over his body, she softly stroked his face. She remembered last Halloween, Hope dressed up as a sheep. There wasn't any more costumes his size at the costume shop and he was going to be late to the party if he didn't pick something out immediately. He looked so irresistible in his sheep outfit, the white fluff contrasting well with his hair. Lightning and Fang forced him to make sheep sounds the whole time, with Vanille and Serah squealing in joy every time he did.

"Baa, baa." Lightning emulated the sounds softly as her face closed in. His tender lips were so perfectly parted from one another. It was like she could place her own and it would fit so easily...

Lightning kissed Hope softly, slipping a bit of her tongue for good measure. She kissed him a couple of more times, before the boy began to stir in his sleep. She didn't want to wake him, so she stopped. Lifting the covers a bit, she saw that he was shirtless.

_ Damn, _she thought to herself while observing his athletic body. That track and field was really paying off! Looking down, she saw that he was only in his boxers. Little did sleeping Hope know that there was something sticking out of the boxers for Lightning's viewing pleasure?

_ What do we have here? _Lightning thought to herself, as she bit her lip. She saw the bulge plenty of times, but she didn't really know what it looked like...until now.

No being able to contain herself much longer, Lightning brought her head down towards the one thing in the world she wanted the most.

* * *

Hope was having the most interesting dream. He was eating strawberry ice cream, his favorite kind. He happily licked away while holding the chocolate flavored cone. As he licked the ice cream, he felt like more and more was dripping on his lips...as if the ice cream was licking _him_! The cone disappeared, and he begins to feel something warm and moist, as if he was receiving a hot towel massage from Palompolum. Hope relentlessly shifted his posture as he couldn't quite get a grip on what was making him feel like this. It was the best feeling in the world, and the sensations were becoming more and more prominent until they begged for some form of release.

"Ah!" Hope cried out as he shook himself out of his slumber. Through dazed eyes, he saw nothing but pink. As his vision came back into focus, he saw blue eyes accompanied the pink.

"Light?" Hope stared closely at the woman, who was panting rather heavily, her mouth wet for some kind of reason. Her eyes were like that of a killer, but she didn't seem to show signs of lethal intent.

"What's going-" before Hope could say anything, Lightning pushed him back down on his back and climbed on top. Feeling the pressure of the lower part of her body on his, he begin to realize what it was that woke him up, and what the wetness was around her mouth. Hope tried to say something, but Lightning put a finger to his lips. She smelled like alcohol.

"Hope Estheim," she cooed with sultry eyes. "You wanted me so bad, well now here's your chance..." she sank into him as she leaned forward into his ear, making Hope react with a soft moan. "Show me just how much of a man you are..."

Tonight, Hope was going to be 'turned out' by Lightning, and there was nothing he could do about it. Then again, he didn't want to do anything about it.

* * *

A/N: Ha! I had to tease you guys a little, but thanks for the wait. I'm trying to separate Hope and Lightning's encounters in little 'skirmishes' as I like to call them, instead of a 'long drawn-out battle'. Things get even more hot and dramatic next chapter! And again, thanks for the support! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This fic contains the following:

SC= Sexual Content

AS= Adult Situations

AL= Adult Language (Well, kinda)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Pain was the first thing Lightning could think of when she opened her eyes. She laid there for a moment, her body rejecting its command of movement. Her pink hair sprawled all over the pillow, the cover hanging halfway off the bed. It took Lightning several minutes to realize the following: She was having a hangover and secondly, this wasn't her bed.

Lightning slowly sat up, wiped her eyes, and observed more of her surroundings. This was most definitely Hope's room. Her dress and underwear were on the floor, next to the end of the bed. Lightning tried to gather her thoughts on last night events, but not clear memory came to surface. The last thing she remembered getting ready to leave the club. Seeing Hope's clothes next to hers, Lightning began to panic once she reached her conclusion:

She had sex with Hope.

Turning red in the face, Lightning also reached the conclusion that she was naked. She got dressed and staggered out of Hope's room. The hall was oddly quiet, with no sound coming from either the bathroom or her room. Deciding that he was probably downstairs, Lightning traveled past the empty living room to the kitchen, where she saw nobody.

_ Where the hell is that kid? _She thought in pure frustration.

Irritation stymied her from making further progress on the matter, and instead Lightning decided to take a shower. When she undressed and turned on the shower, she could feel the evidence of sexual intercourse between her legs. This led to several flashes of the silver-haired teenager with his eyes closed. The expression shown on his face gave reference to the idea that something was being done to him. Judging by the angle, Lightning figured that person was her. The more she washed her body, the more flashes came to mind. One scene even explained the reason why her mouth tasted so funny.

A gasp escaped Lightning's mouth and she dropped her wash cloth. She didn't realize that she was capable of such acts. Just the thought of her shoving Hope's manhood in her mouth over and over, the wetness of his being encasing the outer limits of her mouth...

Lightning's left hand slapped away her right from reaching between her legs. Now wasn't the time to be pleasuring herself! It was now obvious that she had a problem, and it was time to deal with it. After getting out the shower, Lightning wrapped herself in a towel and grabbed the cellphone from her room. Skimming through her contact list, Lightning found the one person she should have went to the moment after this started. Pressing the send button, Lightning pressed the phone to her ear. After a couple of rings, a female voice tiredly answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Valka? Hi, it's me, Sgt. Lightning Farron. I apologize for calling you so early. I feel that it is of utmost importance that we meet tomorrow."

"Lightning, tomorrow is Sunday. You also have the day off. Why would you want to do that?" asked Dr. Valka, the military psychologist.

"Remember everything that I have told you so far, including the situation with Hope? Well I feel like things have gotten out of hand..." Lightning cursed under her breath when she saw a wet spot on the towel around her breasts. She started lactating again.

"Well," Dr. Valka began, her voice clearly sounding concerned for her patient. "I normally don't schedule appointments for the weekend. But for you, I'll make an exception. How does eleven sound?"

"Perfect," Lightning replied, feeling satisfied at the moment.

* * *

Hope whistled one of his favorite tunes as he came into the house through the side entrance leading to the kitchen. He went to buy breakfast for him and Lightning since he didn't feel like cooking today. He knew she liked her eggs scrambled, with home fries and sausage on the side. He bought himself some Palumpolum (french) toast, with a side of bacon. He uncovered the food from their containers, hoping the smell would lure Lightning downstairs.

He remembered everything about the previous night, from Lightning 'waking' him up with her mouth, to her riding him relentlessly. He remembered the tight feeling she felt when he was inside of her, the half-gasp moans the woman would emit. He loved how she arched her back, how sweaty her body became after what it seemed like hours (it was actually only one) of her being on top. His favorite moment had to be when she submissively gave in to him throwing her on the bed and taking her for himself. The pleading in her face to make go faster...harder...not caring what happened after. She would scream out how she wanted his big-

Hope smacked away his right hand with his left. There was no need for that at the kitchen table.

"Hope?"

Hope paused in his food preparation when he heard Lightning's voice and footsteps. She sounds so hot when she calls his name. To think she was his first...that last night was his first time, he tried not to look too happy when Lightning entered the kitchen. She was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, and showed a look of restraint on her face. Hope could tell she was holding something back, but what?

"Good morning Light!" greeted Hope and made a gesture to the food that was on the table. "I went out to get some breakfast! I bought your favorite!" He began to admire how her hair was tied back in a bun.

"Thanks," was all Lightning said, as she sat down and began her meal.

Saying nothing, Hope decided to dig in and enjoy his food. He tried to not look her in the eye, but he knew she is in deep thought. He figured that Lightning was drunk last night, but he didn't know just how drunk she was. Maybe she didn't remember anything, but suspected? She probably feels awkward and is afraid to discuss what they did. Despite the fact that she smelled like alcohol, the sex they had was amazing. He felt there was nothing to feel ashamed about. They should be comfortable enough with each other to enjoy moments like that. If she was just horny and wanted relief, he didn't mind being used as an object of release. As he was about to speak, Lightning beat him to the start of the conversation.

"Hey," she said, looking up from her food. "Today, I woke up in _your _bed. Do you know how that came to be?"

Hope's eyes widened as he listened to her voice. She sounded like an interrogator from one of those police shows he used to watch as a kid. There was no anger in her blue eyes, just curiosity.

_ So she was drunk, _he thought to himself. He couldn't tell her the truth now because he wasn't sure how she might react. It was such a shame: It was his first time and his lover didn't remember a thing.

"Well,nothing really happened," Hope lied. "You were drunk and undressed, thinking it was your room. I tried to protest, but you were asleep as soon as you laid in my bed. I decided to take yours instead so you could sleep it off."

Lightning paused for a long moment before saying anything. A simple "Oh" came out from her mouth, and she continued eating. The tension was now as thick as fog, and Hope couldn't think for anything else to say. After eating, Hope threw away his food and headed towards the side door.

"Hey Light," he said. "I'm going to head out for a couple of hours at Mary and Sue's house. I'll see you later."

Hope didn't wait for the simple "Okay" that was uttered by Lightning.

* * *

_ He lied to me!_ Lightning yelled in her mind the hundredth time today. _The little bastard lied to me!_

Trying not to lose her mind, Lightning accepted her sister Serah's offer to spend some time with her at the new mall in Neo Oerba. Serah wanted to go clothes shopping, claiming that Snow's promotion allowed her such luxuries. Between today and last night, this was the most amount of time Lightning had spent with her sister in months. Despite anger being an obvious expression on Lightning's face, Serah did her best not to mention it. She somehow knew it had to be linked to Hope for this was the second time Lightning left home in a fit.

Lightning was beyond anger. She remembered a few things about last night's occurrence, and wanted to test Hope to see if he would own up to it. He blatantly lied to her, and acted like nothing went on. He probably was either too embarrassed, or too scared to even discuss about it. In some ways that was understandable, but it still hurt Lightning that he lied. She may have been the drunk one acting going against her own inhibitions, but it took two to tango.

Hope should have stopped it. Instead he didn't, lied about it, and ran off to the house of those twins Mary and Sue. He's probably going to gloat about his recent loss of virginity and coax the girls into some sick threesome. It didn't sound like Hope, but these days who knew what young boys have already discovered about sex.

_ You're quite the model saint, _Lightning thought to herself sarcastically. If she didn't stop the boy in the beginning, they wouldn't have to be in this mess!

"Hey Claire," Serah said, grabbing a red blouse. "What do you think of this?"

"It's nice," replied Lightning, who was staring off into space.

Miffed by her sister's lack of attention, Serah pulled out a white low cut blouse. "What about this?"

"That's nice." Lightning eyes were still not on her.

Serah placed the shirt back in a huff, and just stood there with her arms folded. "How about this one!"

"That's nice." Lightning felt her face being pulled by an angry Serah.

"I didn't even have anything in my hands that time!" she exclaimed. "Lightning, what the heck is wrong with you today?" Serah exclaimed. "Are YOU sure there's nothing going on at the house!"

Lightning broke out of her trance, and stared at her sister. "O-of course everything is okay," she stammered. "Kids are kids, Serah. We were kids once, you know how it is."

Serah regarded that statement with suspicion. "Well what is Hope doing exactly to piss you off?"

Lightning sighed before answering. She didn't want to lie to Serah, so she guessed a half-truth wouldn't hurt.

"Hope has a crush on me."

Serah's mouth parted open slightly as a silly smile spread itself across her face. "Really? Did he tell you!"

"Yes he did."

Serah began quivering from the sudden excitement. "That's so cute!" she yelled, and then toned down once she saw people staring at her. She moved in closer to speak lower. "The boy has his first crush! And it's you! That's so adorable!"

"No it's not adorable!" Lightning hissed. "Nor it is cute! I have to live with him and his adolescent urges!"

"Did you try talking to him about it?" Serah asked, following her sister out of the store.

"I did, but he's quite persistent. He really thinks we 'have a chance'."

"Aww," Serah sighed. "I feel bad for the kid. I think he's going through this because you are the constant female in his life after his mother died. He probably loves you, but because of his hormones, he's confused about how he should express those feelings."

_ Love, just the word I needed to hear. _Lightning sighed, and shook her head. If that was the case, then this was much more serious than she thought. Serah had to be right in her explanation. Hope had his lust mixed in with love. Surrounded by women such as herself, Fang, and Vanille all that time, Hope was probably unsure about where to direct his boyish desires. If that's the case then what was wrong with her? Was she just as confused and lonely as he? Maybe the others were right about her trying to find a man.

As Lightning was thinking these thoughts, Serah was saying them.

"...it would be good for you," she heard Serah say, finally paying attention to her rant that went on for the last minute. "You could meet someone, go out on a few dates, and have a little bit of 'fun'." Serah giggled. "I wonder if there is anyone left who was L'Cie like we were. If we got to keep some of our people, then they should still have some too."

Serah grinned mischievously. "You know Lightning, L'Cie men have incredible stamina. You can just go on for hours and hours and not feel as tired-"

"TMI! TMI!" Lightning cried with her hands to her ears. Images of Snow now clouded her thoughts. She did NOT need that at a time like this.

She would stew in her sinful thoughts of Hope than to imagine her sister and her brother-in-law going at it like rabbits. But Serah was right about one thing: L'Cie men were great in the sack.

Thinking about this made Lightning's thoughts wander to Hope throwing her on the bed and thrusting in her with all his might. She thought of the aggression on his face, the way his blue-green eyes narrowed every time he pushed in her. She thought about his grunts which were a lot deeper than she expected them to be. She thought about the way he continued to place his mouth on her breasts, feeding off them the same way he did the first time.

Yeah, she needed a shrink. Thankfully, she had one. Thank the Maker for the military.

* * *

A/N: Needed some time off to gather my thoughts. I really need to continue my other fics, but I love doing this one so much (plus the demand for it is so high! Lol). I noticed I started slipping in the last chapter, which was probably due to me being exhausted at the time I was writing it. It's hard to find time to sit and write when you're busy. Anyways, see ya next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I actually have no ideas about any 'restricted warnings' this time Maybe you guys can offer some suggestions in the comments section. Anyways, on with the show!

* * *

** Chapter 5**

Hope was lying on his back, tossing a rubber ball against the wall of Mary and Sue's room. He didn't say much to his twin classmates, just a few conversations about school. Lightning's stoic face couldn't find its way out of Hope's head. The coldness of her words had put him on edge, and he knew he screwed up. She caught him in his lie and for all he knew, was planning on a way to torture him for eternity. She probably did remember somethings, and especially if certain parts of her body felt differently.

_ You're such an idiot Estheim! _He thought to himself angrily. _Of course Light knew! She was testing me! Now she's going never trust me again!_

The possibility of Lightning losing faith in him was much more detrimental to his heart than actual physical harm. He had to speak to her, to tell her the truth as soon as possible. It was the only chance he had to save their relationship. He wanted to be with her, to make love to her, to protect her. What could a sixteen year old boy like him provide for a grown woman? They promised to look after each other, and no matter the outcome of this situation, he was going fulfill his end of the deal.

"Hey Hope," said Sue, who paused the video game she was playing. Mary was making sandwiches downstairs. "Are you okay? You haven't said much since you got here."

Hope turned his eyes and saw Sue standing before him. Mary and Sue were identical twins; sharing the same blonde hair, wide blue eyes, and slender curvy figures with minor differences. The personalities couldn't be farther apart though. Mary was a sweet and gentle soul, very much like a homebody. Sue on the other hand, liked to walk on the wild side a bit. She loved thrill rides, rock music, and showing off her body in the latest punk-style fashion that originally emerged out of Bodhum. Today's outfit was a black tank top with a jean skirt. Various accessories such as ear rings and spiked wristbands encompassed her ears and arms.

"I'm alright," replied Hope. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"That's becoming a popular excuse for you these days, Estheim." Sue flopped on the bed next to him. Her eyes were slanted from the impish expression she was making. "Has some woman stolen your heart?"

Hope stared dreamily at the ceiling for a moment. "I guess you could say that," he said. "It's a little complicated."

"Complicated how?"

Hope sat up and grinned. "You don't know when to give up don't you?"

Sue shook her head. "I just want to make sure my Hope is okay." With that said, she stroked a finger along Hope's chest, making him blush. "So come on, give up the beans! Who's the lucky lady?"

Hope paused, contemplating what he should say to Sue. She was a good friend, but was notorious for having a big mouth. He couldn't admit that his lover was Lightning, but he could beat around the bust a bit. He needed to get the past few days off his chest, or else he was going to go crazy. And who knows, maybe he'll get some decent love advice out of this. Sue dated enough guys to tell him something useful.

"Well I've been with this woman for a couple of days-"

"Woman!" Sue's eyes lit up like two fireflies. "You're dating an older woman! Oh man, this is too good to be true!"

Before Hope could say anything, Sue started bouncing on the bed, causing him to fall off. As Hope got up, he saw Mary walk in with a tray of sandwiches and lemonade. For some reason, she had a slightly troubled look on her face.

"And older woman?" she asked, staring at Hope with uncertainty. "What's this about an older woman?"

"He's dating one!" exclaimed Sue with a cheesy smile while giving the bed another bounce.

Mary looked like she was going to drop the tray. Sensing this, Hope took it from her and placed it on a nearby desk.

"Is this true?" asked Mary, who looked like her whole world was falling apart, but was doing her best to hide it. "H-how long have this been going on?"

Hope sat down. "For a couple of days now," he replied.

"How did you meet her? How old is she?" Mary drew closing, wanting to know more about this situation that completely turned her day upside down.

"Damn Mary, one question at a time!" Sue started laughing.

"We meet at the supermarket," Hope lied, taking a tuna sandwich. "I was doing some shopping for Lightning. She was doing some shopping herself. We discussed about a couple of things: music, air wings, the evacuation, and reconstruction. We clicked pretty well despite the fact I'm 16 and she's 23."

"What!" both girls exclaimed.

Hope nodded, feeling a little proud of his self on the inside. He felt like such a player at the moment, no matter what guilt remained deep down inside. "Yeah, she's 23. She has her own car and what not."

"What does she do for a living?" asked Sue. "I'm sure it's something awesome that regular adults don't even get to do!"

Hope nodded. "She's a guardian corps officer."

Both Mary and Sue couldn't utter even a word at the moment. Hope, _their _Hope has changed from sweet little boy to bad ass overnight all due to the fact that some military cougar couldn't keep her hands off of him. To Sue this was the sexiest thing she's ever heard. As for Mary, she felt like dying on the inside. She worked so hard to impress Hope with her grades and with the little things she would do for him. She really cared for him, and was his confidant for all his biggest dreams and fears. She was the one who held him during his last 'mother' breakdown. This was so 'out of character' for him, Mary couldn't understand what he would want with an older woman, unless...

"Did you fuck her!"

Yeah, like what her sister said.

Hope was taken aback by the language at first, but nodded once he stopped blushing. "She was my first," he proclaimed. "We did it last night. She was amazing."

Mary's mission was now over. Hope was just like every other guy. He wanted sex just as much as any other testosterone-driven male in the universe. She thought he was different from all the others; someone who was more sensitive and caring. She thought he was someone who was good potential to be her 'first'. For a couple of months she had felt this way about him, and wanted to wait till the end of the school year to reveal such a secret. She felt positive vibes from him, as if there was a chance he showed similar feelings towards her. Now due to recent revelations, Mary wasn't so sure about who Hope was at this point. Hope has been showing another side of him ever since that argument with Mrs. Phillips. This was a side which was never brought up when he discussed about his adventures with his L'Cie companions. He was becoming arrogant, but still held elements that made Hope who he was. Maybe the whole older woman thing inflated his ego?

Hope sighed for a moment. "I need some advice from the both of you. Right now, we're not looking so well as a potential couple. The age thing is an issue, but I feel she is afraid to pursue something more because of other reasons."

Mary wanted to stay quiet, but she felt herself speak up. "Maybe that is the only reason. First off, it's _illegal._ Secondly, you do look slightly older than your age Hope, kind of like a freshman in college. This is probably unnerving to her. Look at her perspective. You're a very attractive guy, but sometimes, the things we want the most is what we can't have."

Hope stared Mary, finding that he had nothing to say. His mother used the exact same words whenever he wanted something he couldn't obtain. The last time she said those words was the night of the fireworks, the night where everything fell apart, the night that began their Purge and led to his mother's death. The floodgates of Hope's worst memories opened, causing him to fight the tears that refused to be held back.

"I-I gotta go..." Hope stood up, and walked out the room.

Mary tired to go after him to apologize, but Sue stopped her. "Don't," she warned. "He's having one of his moments. He's a big boy, he'll deal with it."

Mary nodded, but she couldn't help but feel guilty.

* * *

"Honey! I'm home!"

Serah heard the familiar cheerful voice after she heard the door closed. Normally, she would greet her husband, but she was far too busy preparing dinner. Tonight was steak and onions, and she knew how her man loved his steak and onions. Besides, if she fixed a good enough meal, maybe he'll return the 'favor' later on.

Snow came into the kitchen, and gave his wife kiss on the cheek while hugging her from behind. "Good evening baby," he said. "How was shopping with the sis?"

Serah was about to open her mouth, but she realized what was about to be said. She felt it wasn't right to be speaking about Lightning's business, but maybe, just maybe all Hope needed was a guy to guy talk. All that time living with a woman was driving the poor boy insane with urges he didn't know how to control. When they were dating, Snow was the perfect gentleman. Hope could learn a thing or two and perhaps put that knowledge into a girl closer to his age.

"Well," began Serah, chopping the onions. "I found out something _surprising_."

"And what is that?" Snow put his coat over a chair and leaned against the counter.

Serah stopped her chopping and pointed a finger at Snow. "DON'T tell anybody! You got that? This stays between you and me. Maybe you can perhaps even solve the problem without Claire even knowing."

"Knowing what?" Snow was becoming intrigued with a possible new development. He loved his marriage, but things were becoming a little dull as of late. Even when NORA started a band, there wasn't anything that really piqued his interests.

"Well Claire and I were talking, and she claims Hope has a crush on her."

Snow laughed, scratching his blond hair. "For real? That somehow doesn't sound surprising. How does she know?"

"He told her." Serah's eyes met Snow's.

"Oh. Well That's-"

"Just too good!" A female voice interrupted the conversation, hinting at a familiar strong accent.

Realizing who it was, Serah glared at Snow. "What is SHE doing here? This was supposed to be between us!"

Snow raised his hands as Fang walked into the room. "Hey! You're the one that wanted to drop sis' business!" he said, defensively. "I picked her up after work. She needs to borrow a couple of tools I have, and was hoping she would stay for dinner."

"Besides love," said Fang, taking a peppermint from a candy dish. "I won't bother the 'shocking one' with such trivial matters. Now as for Hope..." she grinned. "Snow, give the boy some pointers on what it means to be a man! Wait, maybe that's a job for Sazh." Fang sighed. "Forget about it, I'll teach the boy!"

Serah walked over to Fang and pointed a finger at her. "You'll be teaching nobody nothing!"

Fang shrugged. "Somebody's going to have to do the job! If he has strong feelings for our resident pink warrior, then he's going to have to learn to woo her. It's not like she's going to end up with anyone else, after all she's the poster girl for Ice Queens! So far Hope is the only thing remotely male that wormed his little way into her heart. I say, why shouldn't they be together?"

Serah shook her head. "But, it's wrong! Lightning is like a big sister to him! He's just confused..."

"Or the boy is figuring out exactly what he wants. He's becoming a sexy little thing too." Fang folded her arms. "Vanille still talks about how hot he looked that day he took off shirt last week. She said if she could get her hands on that body, she would-"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Serah covered her ears and walked out the room.

Snow turned to Fang, disappointment clearly shown on his face. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Not really."

"Is that thing with Vanille even true?"

Fang shook her head. "Not really. I just like messing with your wife. What are you going to do about this situation 'Mr. Hero'?"

"I'm going to have a man-to-man with our little Romeo. I need to see what's going on in that head of is. By the way, you know your little stunt just postponed steak night right?"

Fang sighed. "True, but bugging Serah was so worth extending the waiting time of her delicious meals."

Snow shook his head. "I think you're the one that needs a man."

"That's kind of hard considering I have yet to find someone who is a _man._"

"And what do you consider to be a man?"

"Someone who can defeat me in one-on-one combat. That has yet to happen; therefore there are no men in this world." Paying no mind to Snow's face fault, Fang popped another peppermint in her mouth.

* * *

AN: I wanted to do the Lightning appointment with her psychologist in this chapter, but I fig that would be a good start for chapter 6. I wanted to go back and re-edit some of the sexual encounters to intensify them, but I think I'll leave them alone for now and put that energy into future scenes...mwahahaha.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

** Chapter Six**

"You can take all the time you need. We're not in a rush Lightning."

Dr. Valka's soothing voice slipped their way into Lightning's mind, bringing her to ease. From the moment she laid on the couch, she spent her time staring up at the ceiling. She wasn't quite sure how to tell her psychologist that she slept with an underage boy (regardless if he was sixteen), and she just might do it again if left unchecked. She felt like one of those filthy cougars that you would see on the news that ended up with their own reality show. If her life came down to that she would ask Sazh to shoot her in the head. If that was the case, then what was the point of even coming here? She had to get this off her chest, even if it meant compromising her position in the Guardian Corps. Since there was privacy between her and Dr. Valka, she didn't have to worry about personal embarrassment. She could only imagine the things Lt. Amodar would say if he found out.

Lightning sighed before she finally opened her mouth. "I think Hope is in love with me. And you were right, I am obsessed with him."

Dr. Valka adjusted her glasses, not surprised at Lightning's need to get straight to the point. That made her job easier so they didn't have to waste time beating around the bush. She has seen plenty of cases like these, and it wasn't any surprise that someone like Lightning was admitting this problem about a boy who lost his mother. It was clear that this Hope was psychologically attaching himself to Lightning as a replacement for his mother. This need for an adult female figure only fueled Lightning's desire to protect someone who is more 'helpless' than she was, thus creating the obsession.

Lightning stared at the Dr. Valka, her eyes resembling that of a lost puppy. The psychologist frowned at the possibility of what Lightning was about to say.

"Hope and I slept together. Twice."

Dr. Valka paused for a moment, being careful not to show any signs of her inner emotions. How did such a reasonable minded soldier get herself caught into a situation like this? How does one go from a mother-like obsession to one of a sexual nature? There were actual parallels to parent/child and sibling relationships to that of two lovers. One of the most common beliefs is that one is more prone to become attracted to someone like your parents than the opposite of who they are. Now while Lightning cared for Hope like a parent like a child, the journey they traveled on together created a unique bond that is irreplaceable. Sometimes these bonds lack an absolute definition, lacking specific boundaries. This relationship between the soldier and the school boy fit the description perfectly.

"Dr. Valka?" Lightning's voice softened as she waited to hear the verdict of her situation.

The brown haired psychologist coughed and then began her analysis. "I feel that because of your past with Mr. Estheim, you've created a sort of mental dependency upon each other. You both use that dependency in order to escape the emotional anguish of your adventures as L'Cie. I've had the opportunity to speak with L'Cie who completed their focus and weren't crystallized. It's quite a traumatic experience...never knowing which day just may be your last. You feel that it is hard for you to find someone; therefore you connect yourself with those who suffered with you. The man you call Snow is married to your sister and the man named Sazh is like more of a father figure to you, so the most obvious male that you would bond with romantically is Hope."

Dr. Valka paused for a moment, gauging Lightning's expression. The woman was at lost for words.

"You are at the apex of your sexuality, while he is at the prologue. The both of you wield different mind sets and want different things in life. While he is more mature than boys his age, he still lacks the wisdom of a lover of your own age, Lightning. Then again, you regressed yourself thinking it was growing up...something that you have admitted yourself. Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood the two of you share common ground. That helps you and hurts you both."

"Yeah...I can see that..." said Lightning, nodding a bit. "I know this is wrong, as well as kind of illegal, but the first time he caught me off guard and the second time I was a little drunk." Lightning sighed. "I'm a terrible guardian."

"On the contrary, Hope is just at a particular age where shades of his manhood are beginning to show. There is a part of you that is attracted to that side of him." Dr. Valka jotted down some notes before continuing. "You just have to let him grow into that person before you decide to pursue any further. In fact, it's a good idea if he moved back in with his father. Try dating males your own age, and encourage him to pursue young women his own age. That will give you as chance to be able to relate to your own age group, and bring you closer to getting past what has happened in the past. Give it a couple of years and if the two of you think you are ready, then by all means, you both have my blessing."

"I wish it were that simple," Lightning said. "But I have to do what I have to do, right?"

Dr. Valka nodded. "Sometimes the hardest choices in life are the ones that are most beneficial to ourselves. To be honest, this case is a lot more common than you think. The two of you are at a perfect ages for this to happen."

Lightning sat up for a moment and stared at the wall. She was a little scared of being lonely after spending all this time with Hope, but they needed to get rid of the dysfunction in their lives once and for all. This dysfunction was born out of the madness of the world, an edge of sanity that they were able to grasp on to. Yes, Lightning cared for Hope, but she couldn't possibly provide for him what he needed the most. She wasn't mentally or emotionally conditioned to be there for him like a girlfriend his age should. It was the same vice-versa. While Lightning never really thought about the kind of man she wanted (her trysts were only spur of the moment), she knew that Hope wasn't ready to fill in those shoes, or if he ever would.

"Dr. Valka." Lightning stood, and stretched her arms. "Sorry to cut this short, but I think I need to mentally prepare for the inevitable. Once again, thank you." Lightning shook the doctor's hand and left the room.

Dr. Valka stared at the door for the moment, and then walked over to her desk. She placed the notes she had taken on Lightning, and placed them in the drawer. Lightning Farron was an interesting case, to say the least, and even with this 'L'Cie Love' situation taken care of, she wanted to know more about the woman who brought down the Sanctum.

_ My dear mystical sergeant, we have only begun in exploring what makes you 'tick'..._

_

* * *

_

Dinner between Hope and Lightning was rather a quiet affair. Like yesterday's breakfast, there was little said, and the tension could be felt in the air. Hope had a feeling that she was still thinking about yesterday and most likely called his bluff. Lightning knew the little punk was stewing in his own juices, preparing for her to unravel his dark lie. Each time Hope stared at her, he quickly averted his eyes, as if to escape some kind of impending doom. She had him where she wanted him. She didn't want to be hard on him, but she had to play rough in order to get it across that they shouldn't be together.

After Hope put away the dishes, he walked past the table towards the living room without saying nothing. Before he could make three steps past Lightning, the female soldier's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Hope could feel sweat dripping past his brow, and it wasn't even hot. The knot he already felt in his stomach tightened, and he turned his head away from Lightning, making sure she didn't see his cringing face. She remembered what happened and caught him in his facade. He couldn't help but feel a shred of anger though; it wasn't his fault that she practically raped him while intoxicated.

Seeing the half-scowl on Hope's face, Lightning narrowed her eyes. She wanted to discus about what Dr. Valka had said and listen to Hope's apology and explanation. He had to admit he was wrong, then she would apologize, and then he would leave to live with his father. They would stay friends and maybe, just maybe one day they go out on a date. It was supposed to be easy enough, but Hope's stubborn attitude was beginning to piss her off.

"Does the accused have something to say?" she asked, taking a sip of tea from her moogle mug.

Hope turned completely around to face her. "As a matter a fact, I do," he replied, staring Lightning in the eye. "I don't feel that its fair throwing me under the bus like this. You're just as guilty as I was!"

Lightning paid no attention to the rise in Hope's voice. "I was drunk, you should have known better."

Hope clenched his fists. "You're the adult!" he yelled. "Maybe you should be setting an example or something!"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Are you yelling at me?"

Hope paused before answering the question. Taking in a couple of breaths, Hope calmed his self.

"Light...I'm sorry about doing what I did the first time around. I don't know what came over me. It's like every time I look at you, I want to just grab you and take you with every ounce of aggression in side of me." Hope leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "I want to do things to you...some of them I'm too embarrassed to mention about, but I just want to lose myself in the desire of you. I can't explain why I feel this way...but I just do."

Lightning blinked once, while giving Hope a look over. She glanced at him closely, seeing shades of the man that he is morphing into. His eyes were a serious blue-green, his bangs hanging in front of his face like some kind of sexy celebrity. Sweet Maker was this boy hot.

"Hope, I completely understand everything that you're feeling. I should have been more responsible the other night, and for that I apologize deeply. Now, after saying these things, it just makes what I have to say next even harder..." Lightning turned to the picture of her and Hope on the wall. "I called your father. You're going to be staying with him now."

Hope stared at Lightning in disbelief. How dare she went behind his back and contacted his father without HIS consent! He started pacing back and forth, cerulean eyes watching his every movement. He wanted to scream at her, shake her, tell her how lowdown and screwed up she was. He wanted to call her a coward for running away from what could have been a beautiful romance. He finally realized that this wasn't about the matter of age...but the matter of intent. Lightning exposed a side of her that was rarely seen, and now she was playing Mrs. Uptight, with a dash of holier-than-thou. How could she try to play the passive aggressive game with him just to come out cleaner on the other side!

Lightning could only stare at Hope, who stormed upstairs. Finally, the storm was over. Barely being able to contain herself, Lightning refused to let the water works out until she heard Hope slam the door to his room. A river of sorrow carried itself down her face, her arms giving her shelter from the open world. She fought corrupt secret agents, vile monsters, and bio-mechanical gods, and came out on top. Today, she was defeated by Cupid and his stupid arrow. Her body shook involuntarily, her lungs becoming breathless as she began to hyperventilate. She felt tired...so tired, she wished she could sleep life away. It was too tiresome to her, with the constant coming and going of a regular day, the lack of any real direction, and the restrained feelings for the forbidden fruit that slept across the hall from where she lay. It was all too much for her to bear. She secretly wished things were back to the way they were before two years ago...when things seemed much more black and white to her. She wanted to-

"You lied to me."

Lightning could barely lift her head after hearing Hope's cold voice. She refused to turn her head, where he would be able to see her pitiful tears. "Whatever do you mean?" she managed to choke out between sobs.

"I just called my father. He has no recollection of you calling him at all." Each step Hope made towards her seems to add to her growing headache. "Why, Light? Why would you do such a thing...you know how I feel living with my dad. It brings back too many memories..."

Lightning felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It rubbed her gently, an invitation which she wasn't sure she wanted to accept. Another hand was placed on the other shoulder, and she was now receiving a shoulder massage. If this was supposed to be something she was avoiding, then why did feel just so _right_?

"Lightning, you can't hide from me. If there's anything I've learned on my journeys, it's how to read you like a book. This is much more than just the age. If it was, you wouldn't be like this...so hesitant. This goes deeper, to places you yourself probably haven't explored yet..."

_ Great, _Lightning thought sardonically. _Now Hope is my psychologist..._

The massage was soon followed by kisses on the shoulder. Lightning shuddered at the feeling and tried to pull away but she couldn't. She closed her eyes, entranced by Hope's warm breath on her soft nape.

"You beautiful monster," he whispered playfully, in a voice Lightning has never heard, but grew to like very quickly. "You enjoy torturing yourself entirely too much..." Lightning felt a wet tongue teasing her earlobe. "That's _my _job."

Reviewing a million possibilities, Lightning's groans soon turned into a long and deep sigh. "Y-you're crossing the l-line Estheim..." She never thought she would be submitting herself to the silver-haired runt who attached himself to her two years ago.

"The line's already been crossed. We've finally made it to the other side..." Hope's hands lowered from her shoulders to her breasts. Lightning jumped a little when she felt them squeezed. She silently cursed seeing that the lactation was still active. Biting her lip, Lightning tried to relax, moving her body with the motions of Hope's groping hands. Her mouth hanged half open while her mind raced to consider the consequences of this situation. This would not sit well with the psychologist.

_ What did that uptight hag know anyway? She probably has no man to go home to!_

And here she was, with her own personal lover. Yes, he was a tad bit 'younger' but his passion could match any random guy Lightning's age. And somehow this so-called 'newbie' knew exactly how to please her. Suckling on her breasts not too hard or too soft, his fingers working their way inside her like a skillful perverted surgeon, his other hand gently stroking her face. Lightning Farron was in 7th Heaven, and here was her guardian angel ensuring that her stay was a joyous occasion. She barely realized that they fell off the chair, and were now on the cold, damp, kitchen floor, their bodies wrestling about under the dim light.

The chains were now broken, and their destinies were for theirs to decide.

_ There's something I have to say to you, if you promise you'll understand..._

Their tongues religiously searched for one another, longing for absolution. Their hands grabbed random clothing, either taking it off or tearing away at the cloth. Both parties didn't care, as long as their objective was completed. Hope pressed himself against his pink haired lover, his mouth never letting go of her own. Lightning surrendered (something that she would ONLY do with him!) to his aggression, becoming docile under his enticing transgression.

_ I cannot contain myself when I'm in your presence..._

Hope wasted no time going into Lightning with such force, she had to dig her nails into his back to stay still. This only prompted Hope to continue is invasion of her being, with Lightning wrapping her legs around his, her eyes shut from the feeling that was quickly being to overtake her.

_ I'm so humble, touch me now...don't hide our love, woman to man..._

With incredible lower body strength, Lightning flipped Hope onto his back, a playful grin creeping up the side of her face. Before Hope could let the shock set in, Lightning climbed on top of him, sliding back into 'position'. Leaning forward, Lightning began to show her lover why men to this day are still intimidated by the 'Scourge of the Sanctum'.

_ One thing in life, you must understand. The truth of lust, between woman and man..._

Inhibited no more, Lightning began to thrash her lower body about in a rhythmical motion, exposing her minor experience as an adult to her partner, who fought hard to keep himself from being spent too early. She leaned back in, biting his earlobe, licking his lips. If Hope Estheim wanted her in such a way, he finally got his wish. If he couldn't handle it...well then it was his problem.

_ So open the door, and you will see. There are no secrets, make your move, set me free..._

Feeling the inevitable drawing close, Hope sat up, holding on to Lightning for dear life. She returned the gesture, each passing moment feeling like a thousand years. Their foreheads pressed against each other, they found their way to perfect euphoria. Once spent, the lovers of the L'Cie fell to their backs, panting till sleep overtook their wet bodies.

Claire 'Lightning' Farron has finally given in. She was now his...and _loved _it.

* * *

A/N: That was something, wasn't it? Could have made this even longer, but then it would be like ten more pages added on. Need to save some for future chaps, right? Any who, now that the obstacle of 'Hoperai' was finally overcome, we now have mysterious NEW situations in our midst! What exactly is the drama that is about to knock on the door of our characters' home, and who will be doing the knocking? Find out on the next episode of Dragonba- I mean Duality!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the lateness guys. The season for new beginnings has begun, and once again the "To Do" list makes itself known. I'm also gearing up for 's National Novel Writing Month is November where I'll be working on some original work. Anyways, have fun with this little chapter here!

* * *

** Chapter Seven**

Hope made his way to the cafeteria as soon as the 5th period bell rang. It was lunch time, and he didn't want to waste a second. He and Lightning spent so much time last night fooling around, that he didn't have enough time for breakfast. He barely even made it to his first class. While he should be embarrassed for such a thing, he couldn't help but think of himself as a bad ass of sorts.

After getting his food, Hope headed towards the track field, where Mary and Sue sat at the bleachers. There was a gym class in progress, and Sue's favorite past time was checking out the hot and sweaty "scenery" that would past her by every other minute. Right now, Hope didn't care if they met in the boiler room, he just wanted to eat.

"Top of the morning ladies," he greeted, sitting next to Mary.

"Someone seems pretty chipper today," said Sue, her eyes on the track field. "You know you were late, right?"

"_Almost _late," corrected Hope, who was taking a bite from his sandwich. "I got here on time!"

Mary tried her best not to look disappointed. "Again? Hope, you got to have some kind of steady schedule!"

Hope shrugged his shoulders, feeling a little irritated by Mary's motherly nature. "I usually do, it's just that this time I was just caught off guard a little..."

Sue's attention quickly snapped towards Hope. "What do YOU mean a _little _off-guard?"

Refusing to answer, Hope only turned away and blushed. This only continued to fuel Sue's fire to get some information out of him. Judging by Hope's reaction, she had a feeling what caused Hope's tardiness. Judging by the sour look on her sister's face, she could tell that Mary was thinking the same thing. Her sister had the hots for this kid, but unfortunately she just lost out to someone who she was no match for.

Sue closed in on Hope's face, scanning his expression for the slightest alteration. "How many times?"

Hope blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked, feeling confused.

"How many times did you do it?" Sue now had a wide grin.

"Do what?" Hope pulled away, hoping she wasn't taking this conversation where he thought she was taking it. For some reason though, a small part of him was hoping she was.

"Sue!" cried Mary, who finally realized where her sister was getting at.

Sue licked her lips and whispered in Hope's ear. "How many times did you have sex last night?"

Hope jumped back in his seat, almost falling over. "Why the hell are you asking me that!" he exclaimed.

Sue folded her arms. "You start dating this hot commando milf in which you're having this intimate relationship with. Now all of a sudden, you're late for your classes...well _almost _late. Hmm, I wonder how all that adds up."

Mary was flabbergasted by Sue's whispering and Hope's sudden reaction. She was probably trying to get Hope to admit he slept with his lover last night. This mysterious lover, whose name they still didn't know...

"Hope."

Hope turned to Mary, feeling relieved by her interruption. "Yeah?"

Mary tried to not to show signs of frustration. "Just who is this woman you're seeing. You told us a bit about her. Since she's a guardian corps officer, does she know Lightning?"

"Kind of...sort of." Hope couldn't decide how to answer that question.

Mary knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but try and pry into Hope's situation. There was something funny about it. This sudden relationship with an older woman just seemed too random for someone like Hope Estheim. She wondered does how much Lightning knew about this 'arrangement'. She didn't seem like the kind of woman that would let young boys like Hope run around town with older women who was trying to reclaim their 'golden' years.

"Does Lightning know?" she asked, pouring as much concern onto the question as she could do.

Hope bit his lip, pondering how to answer such a question. "Not yet, but I'm trying to find a way to tell her..." Hope's eyes drifted across the field to a frightened freshman who was walking by himself. Not too far behind him was a couple of snickering kids, most likely juniors.

Mary, not paying Hope's new found interest no mind, continued on with her moral campaign. "You're going to have to tell her the truth eventually. She's your guardian Hope. She protects your well being! You may not know what this 'woman' wants in the end."

"Speaking of which," said Sue, following Hope's gaze. "What is her name?"

It didn't take Hope long to come up with a name. "Eclair."

Éclair was Serah's nickname for her dear sister. It was the first thing he thought of, and there was a small chance that the sisters would make the connection. That should sedate the two nosy blondes for now. Right now, he was watching the small group of bullies surrounding the freshman.

Sue almost laughed. "Eclair? You mean like the pastry!"

"Yeah, like the pastry."

Hope stood up, and made his way across the field with the twins in tow. If there was anything he hated, it was when the so-called 'strong' picked on the weak. As he grew closer to the spectacle, he could hear the random name calling, the hopeless pleading, and the pitiless laughter. Each passing moment only made Hope's anger grow.

"Hey!" he shouted, barely being able to control his anger. Once he caught the attention of the bullying juniors, he stepped a little closer, causing the group to take defensive stances.

One kid with curly red hair and freckles dotted across his face tilted his head to the side. "Maybe we help you?" By the tome in his voice, Hope could tell he was already looking for a fight.

The freshman locked eyes with Hope, a chaotic mixture of fear and relief in his eyes. Hope never heard anything about there being bullies, but then again he wasn't one for the social scene. Mary and Sue said nothing, waiting for their friend to make the first move.

Hope watched the red haired junior's green eyes carefully as he spoke. "I think that's enough fun for today, guys. You four should just head on out now, and everything will be okay."

The red head and his friends stared at each other in disbelief. A tall, blond kid pointed at Hope. "Is this fairy kidding! Who the hell do you think you are?"

The four kids begin to move closer to Hope, who did not waver. He received more than enough hand-to-hand combat training from Lightning to take these guys on alone. After fighting The Sanctum, Pulse monsters, and evil Fal'cie, he didn't know what the big deal was with your average school bully. The four juniors noticed his fearless behavior as well, and stopped in their tracks. After a brief stare-off, the red head gestured for his clique to leave.

"Let's get out of here," he ordered, never taking his eyes off Hope as he was leaving. There was some kind of anger in his eyes, that Hope vaguely felt familiar. Thinking about it reminded him of Operation Nora, and the events leading up him disbanding the project.

Sue wrapped her arm around Hope's and squealed. "Oh man Hope! Do you know who that was! That was Brandon Skinner! He's the captain of the wrestling team! You're the first person I've ever seen to look him in the eye and not shit his pants!"

Hope felt his 'cool-o-meter' rise up a couple of notches from Sue's reaction. "Well, he doesn't seem all that scary to me." Hope looked around for the freshman, who was already gone. "I guess someone was in a rush..." From the corner of his eye, he could see various students looking in his directions as they whispered amongst each other. Hope couldn't help but feel proud of himself, especially when he saw Mary's speechless expression. Deep down inside, he could tell there was a part of her that was fond with what he just did. That made him feel more like a hero than anything else.

"Come on girls; let's get out of here..." With both twins in his arms, Hope walked back towards the cafeteria, feeling like the coolest kid alive.

_ Wait till they get a load of my 'girlfriend'..._

_

* * *

_

Word of Hope Estheim's bravery had spread through the school like wildfire. Before Hope knew it, kids he didn't even know were greeting him in the hallways for the rest of the day. Girls who didn't take notice of him before were now smiling at him sometimes followed by a wink or giggle. In just several minutes, Hope has become the talk of the school. Normally, Hope would feel nervous to receive such attention and would just blush the whole time, but the reality was that this kind of attention made him feel good inside, very _confident_. Since last night, Hope felt like he could grab the world by the horns and toss it repeatedly.

After school, Hope walked across the street, where he saw Mary and Sue talking among themselves. Sue was smiling at her sister, whose features were hard to see because of how red her face was. She seemed a little upset by something, but her expression changed immediately as soon as she saw Hope.

"Are you okay?" he asked, wrapping an arm around his friend.

"Mary's alright," Sue answered, watching her sister gather her bearings. "She's just jealous at all the attention you've been getting since lunch. You should hear some of the things these girls are saying about you man..."

"No he doesn't," sighed Mary, shaking her head. "He's too good for some of these teeny bopping bobble heads, anyhow."

Hope laughed, and scratched his head. "What are the ladies saying about me this time?"

Sue shrugged her shoulders. "Just the usual 'he's cute or sexy' and 'if I was alone with him'. Nothing too serious, but don't be surprised if some start becoming a little bold. They'll try the whole 'my friend likes you' thing or even outright seduce you."

Hope laughed, and turned his head as he heard a car beep its horn. "Well, they'll have to answer to my _woman _first! Which reminds me..." Hope stared past his friends, and saw a red sports car a block down. "There's my ride! My little lady friend is taking me out for dinner! I'll see you later, okay?"

Sue nodded, and gave Hope a hug. "Knock 'em dead tiger!"

Mary only waved goodbye, trying to hide her obvious jealousy. "Just make sure you do the right thing and talk to Lightning, okay?"

Hope was confused for a moment, but nodded as soon as he realized the situation. This whole white lie about his relationship was going to take some getting used to.

"I'll talk to her tonight about it," Hope promised. "She does deserve to hear the truth."

Mary and Sue watched their friend run down the block and climb into the red car that took a few moments to drive away. Mary could have sworn she saw that vehicle before, quite possibly around Hope's neighborhood. This past week has been very stressing for her, but she'll get to the bottom of this recent 'occurrence'.

She's going to find out just who this 'Eclair' is, and learn every little detail about her. After all, if one wanted to win the war, they had to study their opponent...

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A/N : Next chapter- Hope and Lightning's first date!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Don't forget to review! I actually appreciate some of the criticism I came across. It helps me think over things in a different light.

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**Chapter Eight**

Lightning couldn't keep her eyes off of her new lover. She always thought Hope was a handsome young man and now that they were "dating" (or whatever they were calling it), she began to take notice at the smallest details of his expressions. The way his eyebrows curled when he looked at something of interest, the way his eyes sparkled when he saw something he liked...the way his expression grew soft whenever he stared at her. She still felt a little funny taking him out to dinner tonight, but if they wanted this to be real, they had to treat it as such. The way Lightning figured it Hope had a year and half of high school left, so they would take it easy until then. Of course the intimacy would still go on, but they wouldn't decide on anything serious until Hope was in college. This would give them time to 'get to know each other' as a couple.

Hope stared at the menu, unsure what he wanted. He never had been to a fancy restaurant before, so Lightning wasn't surprised that he was staring around the establishment before even taking a look at the appetizers. Lightning finally settled on some clam chowder for the both of them, and she ordered lobster as her entree. Normally, she would be annoyed when people took too long to order food, but Hope was so adorable when he was indecisive. He could stay like that all night, and it would make her smile.

"Alright," Hope finally spoke, placing the menu down. "I know what I want."

Lightning placed her hands under her chin, smiling. "What are you going to have?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"Sautéed chicken," Hope replied as he closed the menu. "Light, I'm sorry for taking too long to make a decision. I'm just not good at these things. My mother said when I finally picked what I wanted, I always complained about wanting to change my meal to what she or my dad would have..." A small laugh escaped the boy's mouth.

Lightning nodded, seeing the familiar sadness in Hope's eyes whenever he brought up his mother. This sadness was followed by a silence that she was used to; she was never great at bringing a conversation out of the gutter. Her gazed traced the movements of Hope's chowder while she thought of a way to ease the tension between the two of them.

"Claire."

"Hmm?" Hope lifted his head, catching the sound of her voice.

Lightning repeated her birth name. "Claire. You should call me Claire." She barely noticed that she was blushing when she spoke.

Hope paused in his stirring, unsure how to react to something so personal. He never saw Lightning mention her real name to anyone so generously. Serah mentioned at this point she didn't care if anyone in their 'clique' called her Lightning or Claire (except Snow), but everyone was used to calling her Lightning. Hope had asked Lightning once why to this day she was still hard on Snow, and she replied that Snow still thinks everyone likes him. She feels that it's her job to burst his bubble at every opportunity. This was what their relationship consisted of, and it was to stay that way 'till the end. Hope felt that was a viable answer.

"Claire..." He tried sounding out her name. Hope looked Lightning in the eye and smiled. "Claire Farron. I like it."

_ Claire Estheim doesn't sound too bad either..._

Lightning returned the smile and rubbed her lover's hand affectionately. She wanted to kiss him, but they still had to careful with public displays of affection. Hope might have looked older to some, but he could still pass for a teenager, while Lightning clearly resembled an adult. With the knowledge that her salary was significantly higher than the others, Lightning made dinner reservations for one of the finest restaurants in town. This would not only give the two of them a chance to unwind, but it would give them the ability to stay hidden from their friends. Maker only knows what they would say if one of them would see her and Hope enjoying a romantic dinner in a dark corner at a five-star restaurant.

"So," began Lightning, who took a sip of water. "How was school?"

"It went okay, with the exception of some bullies. I didn't even know we had any until today."

A sly smirk appeared on Lightning's face. "Did you take care of them?"

Hope swallowed some chowder. "If telling them to back off counts, then yeah I was pretty successful. Once they saw I wasn't afraid of them, they walked away." Hope stared down at his food. "Freaking cowards..."

Lightning laughed, her eyes filled with content. "Most bullies are cowards, from your neighborhood scoundrel, to well, PSICOM."

"Well isn't that pretty obvious?" Hope scoffed at his assessment. "I can't wait for the day everyone stops being a jerk."

"Like that will ever happen my dear." Lightning's legs rubbed up against Hope's. "For now all we can do is live life a day at a time and enjoy each other..."

"Speaking of which," began Hope. "Where's our food? I want to eat, go home, and have some 'enjoyment' of my own..." Hope leaned forward and spoke in almost a whisper. "You, of course is welcome to join me."

Lightning crossed her arms. "Boy, you are too devious for your own age!"

Hope shrugged his shoulders, and stared past his lady of the evening. Two familiar people entered the restaurant, dressed well, but not well enough to fit in with this particular kind of crowd. Hope cursed under his breath and turned his head away.

"What is it?" asked Lightning, looking obviously concerned.

"Don't look now, but the cavalry has arrived."

"Who?" Lightning turned around to see Snow and Serah being escorted to a table by a waiter.

"Great...just great..." Lightning slid down a couple of inches in her seat.

Hope stared in their direction and saw that they were being escorted across the room. "Maybe they won't spot us," he said, sounding hopeful. "We are in this dark corner after all."

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you," said Lightning. "When those two are together, they have the potential to unravel the very fabric of the universe, for better or worse."

Hope turned his head towards the wall, praying they wouldn't look his way. Lightning had a better chance of not being seen, but her hair stood out from among the surrounding crowd. It was only a matter of time before Serah recognized the hanging pink strands that belonged to her sister. From the corner of his eye, Snow saw Serah gesture Snow as they moved in their direction.

"This is going to suck," stated Hope, who buried his face in his arms.

Lightning could see recognition in Serah's eyes as they came closer.

"See!" she heard her sister exclaimed. "It is them!" Serah began waving her hands, barely noticing the disgruntled customers of the _Siren's Song _establishment. "Hey Claire!"

Lightning gave a short wave, her voice barely audible. "Hey to you too, sis."

Snow grabbed two chairs from an empty table. "We're going to sit with them," he told the host, who simply nodded. Lightning couldn't figure out if that was just for courtesy or fear of the 6'8 250lb giant of a man.

"Wow, I never expect for you guys to be here!" Serah sat down next to Lightning, paying no attention to the dark look Hope was aiming towards her.

"We never expect for you to be able to eat here," retorted Lightning.

"Well sis, I had some money put aside for an occasion like this," said Snow, who took a roll from the bread basket and popped it into his mouth. "I never got Serah a chance to take her somewhere nice. So...here we are!" Snow slapped his hand on Hope's back, who almost snarled. "I saved up enough money from my job. Some people are not as rich as you, Light."

"Actually, I'm considered middle class." Lightning's leg rubbed against Hope's in an almost apologetic manner.

"Well, its still more than I make." Snow grabbed a menu. "So, what are we having tonight?"

Both Hope and Lightning glared at the man with the intent to kill.

* * *

Lightning could barely stand a half hour of Snow's exaggerated storytelling. She excused herself to the bathroom, where she spent the last five minutes staring at the mirror. This perfect night with Hope, their first date was ruined. The one thing she tried all this time to avoid, she finally accepted, and now it was teasing her, like a dangling ball of yarn in front her feline eyes. This was probably just by chance, but she couldn't be certain. Nobody else knew that she was coming here tonight. Snow, Serah, and the others didn't know about her and Hope's relationship.

The whole time they were having dinner, she could feel Serah's eyes upon her, probing for information. She was probably wondering why she was at an expensive romantic restaurant with the boy you're trying to turn down. She knew Serah was calling her a hypocrite and a liar deep down on the inside. Between her sister's silent judging and Snow's irritating voice, she was about to lose her mind.

So here she was, in the ladies' room at the _Siren's Song_ trying to find some kind of peace of mind. Unfortunately, she had to sacrifice her lover to the madness. She would make it up to him later, though. She would most definitely do that.

"Hey Claire." She heard Serah's voice in conjunction with the sound of the bathroom door opening. "So this is where you've been hiding."

"Right where I said I would be," said Lightning, grabbing a paper towel to blow her nose with. "I'm just not feeling all that well tonight."

"Really?" Serah leaned against the wall. "You looked all nice and cozy when I spotted you the first time. As a matter of fact, it seems like you and Hope are quite displeased with our presence. Were we...interrupting anything?"

Lightning turned around, annoyed by Serah's desire to play detective. "No, the two of you weren't interrupting anything. And before you start this game of twenty questions, I brought Hope here in order to mend his heart a little bit."

"Mend his heart?"Serah asked quizzically.

"Yes, I wanted to make him feel better for turning down his desire to be with me. We both agreed to live together, despite this fact. Because I care about his well-being, I wanted to take him somewhere nice so he can feel better." Lightning walked towards the door.

"That's sweet of you Claire," said Serah, giving her warmest smile. "I'm glad you decided to still be there for him."

"Thank you, but I really don't care about your approval." Lightning turned around just before she walked out. "For future reference, don't assume. When you do, you make an ass out of both 'u' and 'me'. Those were wise words from our dad."

With that said, Lightning left the bathroom, leaving a slightly embarrassed Serah to stir in her own thoughts.

* * *

Dr. Valka stood in the observation room, examining the four men that stood on the other side of the glass. A couple of hours ago, PSICOM officials brought in a group of anti-Sanctum terrorist that were attacking both guardian corps officers and Sanctum employees several miles from New Bodhum. Despite the recent government overhaul, there were those who didn't believe in change. Sanctum was now being ruled over by a fair council of men and women from different branches of government. Due to the Fal'Cie's extinction, the people were no longer dependent on their power. What shocked Dr. Valka about all of this was the fact that those who were L'Cie still retained a portion of their abilities, and the Cie'th were still in existence. Of the ten captured rebels, four of them seem to exhibit some form of mystical power.

Lt. Stuart and his men separated these four possible test subjects away from the rest, who were to locked away until further notice. The Guardian Corps know her as only a psychologist, but with PSICOM she is so much more. Previous scientists have failed to see the connection with the L'Cie and human DNA. Even though the late Jihl Nabaat disagreed with her, Dr. Valka always believed that humans had the latent ability to use the powers that the L'Cie possessed. She theorized that what the Fal'cie did were not so much transform humans into L'Cie, but rather turn on abilities that were always there to begin with. She believed the bio-electric energy that all Fal'Cie possessed allowed them to have control over the L'Cie. She still needed more information on the Focus and the Cie'th in order to continue examining this hypothesis.

If there is a break through, then who knows what humanity would be able to accomplish. The original command of PSICOM and the Sanctum had the wrong idea. The L'Cie weren't pests, but actual assets used for exploitation. The exact details of the destruction of Cocoon were scarce, but one thing was certain: those in power never looked at the whole picture.

Dr. Valka wasn't after power. She was after evolution.

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A/N: With Dr. Valka's motives finally revealed, what does it have to do with Lightning? While the answer is obvious, how does that explain her position as a psychologist? Tune in next time...


End file.
